Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to bottle holders and, more specifically, to a bottle holding device that can be placed onto a surface within reach of an intended user and adjusted to a comfortable position for the user consuming the contents contained within the bottle without the aid or assistance of another individual, and without having the bottle in a position such that the contents will be expelled from the bottle when not in use or undesired by the user.
While there are other bottle holding devices that may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, such devices would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. What is needed is an adjustable bottle holder that positions a bottle such that the user, such as a small child, can place his or her mouth on the bottle opening, such as a nipple, while the bottle is downwardly pointed, and which also automatically positions the bottle in a substantially horizontal or upwardly pointed direction when the bottle opening is released by the mouth.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a bottle holding device that can be placed onto a surface within reach of an intended user and adjusted to a comfortable position for the user who desires to consume the contents contained within the bottle without the aid or assistance of another individual.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle holding device that is adjusted to a comfortable position without having the bottle in a position such that the contents thereof will be expelled from the bottle when not in use or undesired by the user.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle holding device intended for toddlers or people that are bedridden.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle holding device with a telescoping housing for height adjustment.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a bottle holding device that can be fixed onto a surface within reach of an intended user, such as a small child, and adjusted to a comfortable position for the user who desires to consume the contents contained within the bottle without the aid or assistance of another individual, and without having the bottle in a position such that the contents thereof will be expelled from the bottle when not in use or undesired by the user. The bottle holder of the present invention is intended for toddlers or people that are bed ridden and has a holding mechanism to hold a bottle containing a consumable liquid. The bottle holder is adjustable and has a return mechanism spring to return the bottle holder to a preset position so that the contents of the bottle are not expelled. The device includes a telescoping mechanism that adjusts the device in a controlled up and down motion, locking at a position desirable to the user.
My invention provides a device for positioning a bottle on a horizontal surface, the bottle having a mouthpiece for user consumption of liquid contents, comprising: a base, the base being fixable to the surface; a first stand member and a second stand member, the stand members telescoping between at least two fixed positions, the first stand member being fixed to the base; a bottle support assembly having a platform for supporting the bottle, and a fastener for securing the bottle to the platform, the support assembly being hingedly fixed to the second stand member, and a spring positioned in cooperating relationship with the second stand member and the bottle support assembly, such that the spring biases the support assembly to a first position, the support assembly being hingedly movable to a second position upon loading the spring, the bottle mouthpiece being lower in the support assembly second position than the first.
In one embodiment, the first stand member has a hole and a height adjustment member, the height adjustment member having a stud, and further wherein the second stand member has a plurality of holes, each hole aligning, in turn, with the first stand member hole as the first and second stand members telescope, each hole being sized to receive the height adjustment member stud when aligned with the first stand member hole, the height adjustment member being resiliently bendable to remove the stud from the first stand member hole and the second stand member hole.
In one embodiment, the mouthpiece is a nipple.
In one embodiment, the bottle is curved along its longitudinal axis.
In one embodiment, the spring is a coiled spring, the coiled spring being wound as the bottle support assembly is moved to the second position.
In one embodiment, the spring is a cylindrical helical spring, the spring being loaded into compression as the bottle support assembly is moved to the second position.
In one embodiment, the first stand member is fixed to the base at an acute angle to the surface.
In one embodiment, the first stand member is fixed to the base at a substantially vertical angle.
In one embodiment, the base is deformable and creates a suction attachment to the surface when the base is deformably compressed against the surface.
In one embodiment, the bottle support assembly, when in the first position, is in an upward orientation with respect to the horizontal surface, the orientation being above the horizontal and less than or equal to the vertical.
There is provided a device for positioning a bottle on a horizontal surface, the bottle having a mouthpiece for user consumption of liquid contents, comprising: a base and attachment means for fixing the base to the surface; support means for supporting a bottle, the support means having fastener means for fastening the bottle to the support means; elevation means for elevating the support means above the base, the elevation means further comprising height adjustment means for adjusting the degree of elevation; rotation means for rotating the support means between a first and second position such that the mouthpiece is lower in the second position than in the first position; and spring means for automatically returning the support means from the second position to the first position.
In one embodiment, the base attachment means further comprises suction means for creating suction between the base and the horizontal surface.
My invention provides a device for positioning a bottle on a horizontal surface, the bottle having a nipple for user consumption of liquid contents, comprising: a base, the base being deformable and fixable to the surface by suction; a first stand member and a second stand member, the stand members telescoping, the first stand member being fixed to the base, the first stand member having a hole and an attached height adjustment member, the height adjustment member having a stud, and further the second stand member having a plurality of holes, each hole aligning, in turn, with the first stand member hole as the first and second stand members telescope, each hole being sized to receive the height adjustment member stud when aligned with the first stand member hole, the height adjustment member being resiliently bendable to remove the stud from the first stand member hole and the second stand member hole, the second stand member also having a bore; a bottle support assembly having a platform for supporting the bottle and a fastener for securing the bottle to the platform, the support assembly being hingedly fixed to the second stand member; and a spring positioned in the second stand member bore such that the spring bears upon the support assembly, the support assembly being biased in response to the spring to a first position, the support assembly being hingedly movable to a second position upon loading the spring, the nipple being lower in the support assembly second position than the first.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.